New laws regulating professional cosplayers?

 

Professional cosplayers in Japan might soon see laws change that involve their line of work. According to Anime News Network, the Japanese government is mulling over “rules that will allow copyright holders to regulate cosplayers for income earned from cosplay activity.”

So far nothing has been decided, and Japanese House of Councillors member Taro Yamada made the point that they’re looking at the issue from both the perspective of the copyright holders and the cosplayers. Japanese people who cosplay just for fun and don’t earn an income would not be impacted if legislation changes.

Famous cosplayer Enako also weighed in:

SoraNews24 supplied this translation for her tweet:

“I think there are some misunderstandings on the information being spread out there about the changes to cosplay copyright, but this article is easy to understand.

I had a discussion with Minister Inoue, and we’re searching for a way to protect copyright without interfering with current cosplay culture.”

She also tweeted this:

SoraNews24 translated:

“Also, I haven’t heard anything about the ban on (cosplay photos being posted to) social media as was written in another article, so I’m anxious to find the truth.

I’m not really in a position to easily give a statement on the issue, but personally I hope that the changes will not regulate social media posts and fan-made activities if they are not for profit.”

And she added this:

“By the way, I’ve said it many times before, but when I’m on TV, at events, or anything else for profit, I take copyright into consideration and do not cosplay characters from published works, but go out in my own original outfits instead.

Whenever I cosplay characters from published works, I do so after obtaining permission from the publisher.”

Source: Anime News Network, SoraNews24

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More recent posts:

Japanese mangaka grapple with racism

2021: A year of anime anniversaries

My new book 

Otaku Japan

And don't forget to subscribe to my other blog!

Japanese mangaka grapple with racism

 The recent launch of a new manga devoted to tennis player Naomi Osaka offers another chance to consider the way Black characters are portrayed in Japanese comics. 

Here's a story I wrote on this topic for the Monitor. 

Let me know what you think about it.

Ah, and if you want to follow my writing, don't forget to subscribe to my other blog!

2021: A year of anime anniversaries

 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

(10th anniversary)

Has it really been ten years since Gen Urobuchi unleashed his tale of magical girl entropy on the world? This first anniversary hardly seems real, since Puella Magi Madoka Magica hasn’t gone far in the intervening years. But it’s true.  Movies and Magia Record aside, this series is a full decade old as of January 7.

Anniversary festivities are underway for the show, so look forward to new surprises throughout the year.

 

Spirited Away 

(20th anniversary)

Of all the anime anniversaries on this list, Spirited Away is probably the only one that coincided with the anime in question getting surpassed in its own Guinness record. Nonetheless, this Studio Ghibli classic is still the first anime ever to win an Academy Award, and continues to reign as one of the greats.

Celebrate this year on the day of its premiere, July 20.

 

Otaku no Video 

(30th anniversary)

Gainax’s two-part mockumentary about life, love, and otakudom came out back in 1991. The OVA has gone on to become a much-loved anime, offering a tongue-in-cheek perspective on both otaku life and the beginnings of an anime studio.

Relive the magic by celebrating two anime anniversaries in one — on September 27 for Otaku no Video 1982, and December 20 for More Otaku no Video 1985.

 

Adieu Galaxy Express 999 

(40th anniversary)

Leiji Matsumoto’s Galaxy Express 999 was a thoughtful and action-packed tale of humanity and coming of age. But when the series ended, the story wasn’t over. 1981’s Adieu Galaxy Express 999 continues the story after the fallout of the TV series. Tetsuro Hoshino is a teenage freedom fighter, and must board the space train to begin a new adventure.

The film officially hits the big 4-0 on August 1. If you’ve never seen the original series or the 1979 film that came before Adieu, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.

 

Lupin the 3rd Part I 

(50th anniversary)

Wrapping up our list of anime anniversaries is the master thief himself. Four years after Monkey Punch’s manga debuted, the grandson of Arsène Lupin made the jump to anime. “Part I,” a.k.a. the Green Jacket series, premiered on October 24. It ran for 23 episodes, and it would be four more years until he would get the red-jacketed Part II.

Fortunately, there’s so much Lupin out there, you’ll have no trouble finding as much as you want to watch.

And don't forget to subscribe to this my other blog!

My new book

Amazon (US, Japan, UK, and Canada) have started accepting pre-orders for my new book, Otaku Japan Travel Guide.
This is of course the sequel to my "Tokyo Geek's Guide" and covers the whole of the country.

Young Jump magazine celebrates 40 years of great seinen manga

Happy birthday Young Jump magazine!
(Don't forget to click on the link and watch the kickass video)

World Domination Enterprise

Ever wondered how many plastic Gundam models exist in the world?

(Photo by Domenico)

Over 500 million, apparently.
Gunpla first debuted in July 1980 with a 1:144 scale model of the original RX-78-2 Gundam. There are now over 2,000 variations, reports Mantan Web.

(Photo by Stefan)

According to Bandai Spirits, if you lined up the packages of every model sold to date, they’d wrap around the earth four-and-a-half times and weigh about 350,000 pounds. That’s a lot of Gunpla.

(Photo by Domenico)

There have been many improvements and variations on the line over the years, including in 1987, when Bandai released the first model that could snap together without glue.
In 2010, the number of units shipped reached 400 million.
Here’s looking forward to the next 40 years of plastic Gundam models.


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I'm the author of the Tokyo Geek's Guide.
Please check out my other main blog where I post other Japan-related news, articles and interviews.

Are anime and manga fathers really so bad?

A lot of manga and anime stories revolve around ridiculously strong and clever junior high and high school kids who save the day in a world where not only parents but adults as a whole barely count.

Many people have pointed out the conflicting father-child relationship in many such stories.
Although there are also fathers who try their best, and being myself a father, I prefer to talk about them:

Soichiro Yagami (Death Note)
 It is never easy being a parent, especially one that is raising a serial killer son and working as detective to solve the case. Any dad that can handle the pressure and still put their family first shows strength and determination. One could say Sorichiro Yagami is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Amidst the truth about who his son really is, Sorichiro still believes in his son’s innocence, which unfortunately ends tragically for this dad.

Tatsuo Kusakabe (My Neighbor Totoro)
Every father wants to keep their children happy and Tatsuo Kusakabe is the ideal example. He is a great person by the way he listens to his children, cares for his sick wife, and holds a career. While most parents laugh it off when children say silly things, he fosters his children’s curiosity and imagination with Totoro. A dad that is willing to give his fullest attention to a child deserves a Top

Shiro Fujimoto (Blue Exorcist)
A person doesn’t need to have biological children to become a parent. Adoptive parents deserve the love too like Shiro Fujiimoto! A risk taker, humorous, and tolerant individual, Shiro possesses the qualities of a great father. Especially when it comes to taking care of Rin and Yukio on their worst days. Because not everyone can be as saintly as Shiro Fujimoto when it comes to taking care of demons!

Kohei Inuzuka (Sweetness and Lightning)
As a single father, Kohei is a wonderful hardworking dad that puts his child first before his own needs. After the loss of his wife, Kohei wants to instill good values in his daughter to make sure she grows up right. His willingness to learn to cook proper meals for his daughter shows that he deeply cares for his child. This Anime dad represents all the dads that strive to give the best life for their children.

Goku (Dragon Ball Z)
Energetic, pure of heart, and though practically gone for half of his son’s life, Goku is still a top anime dad. He may be physically absent but he is emotionally present for his son. In times of trouble, he protects his family. Who can forget the special father and son moments when Goku saves Gohan during a fight against Recoome? Or teaching his son how to become the best fighter? Maybe the Goku wasn’t there for all the moments, but at least he showed up once in awhile to help kick butt.

Spirit Albarn (Soul Eater)
Nobody is a perfect parent and Spirit Albarn fits in this description. Due to his womanizing behavior, Spirit Albarn is highly unlikely to earn the “Best Parent of the Year” award, but he at least deserves the “A for effort” award. He continuously tries to bond with his daughter by showing love and support. Even when she denies him, he keeps striving for a daddy and daughter relationship. Any man that thinks his daughter is his number one girl, is a great dad.

Sojiro Izumi (Lucky Star)
A dad that loves watching anime, playing video games, and is a die hard otaku has the best qualities for top anime dad like Sojiro Izumi! Despite the challenges as a single dad, he shows strength to carry on and raise a great daughter, Konata Izumi! As any great otaku dad would, he teaches his daughter that the two most important things in life are Anime and Video Games. What kid wouldn’t want their dad to have these two great passions in life?

Naruto Uzumaki (Boruto)
Parents who go through many life experiences end up becoming great teachers to their children. In the beginning, Naruto was a naïve, immature boy, who eventually learns from his mistakes. As a man, he passes these important life lessons such as justice and accountability to his son. A dad that takes the time to be a mentor to his children is a loving father!

Akio Furukawa (Clannad)
Although he is rough around the edges, Akio is benevolent and sympathetic. He makes many sacrifices for his daughter, Nagisa. An example is when Akio quits his job as an actor due to Nagisa’s health and has no regrets about it. For him, as long his child is happy, then he is happy. Akio represents a great father, who makes hard choices that will foster good well-being for his children.

Maes Hughes (Full Metal Alchemist)
A proud father, Maes never wastes time bragging about his daughter and wife. His personality is considered to be trustworthy and amicable. He is protective of his daughter, especially around boys when they ask to play with her and he never fails to show that he is a devoted family man! His coworkers are often annoyed by him for showing pictures of his daughter and wife; but who doesn’t love showing off their children? Maes Hughes is the fun, strict, and lovable character that most of us can relate with our dads.